SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Seven weeks ago Jim Boeheim called his Syracuse Orange the most overrated team in his long tenure as head coach when they were ranked 10th.
With the Big East portion of the schedule at hand, Syracuse is ranked fifth for the third straight week and appears ready for the bruising task at hand.
Despite some early struggles with four freshmen learning a new system, Syracuse has won its first 13 games for the second straight season and eighth time in Boeheim’s 35 years at the helm.
The Orange have gelled remarkably well since a 72-58 win over then-No. 7 Michigan State three weeks ago in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden. Syracuse has scored 190 points in its last two games — a 43-point victory over Morgan State and a 28-point win over Drexel — as the Orange prepare to open the Big East season at home against Providence (11-2) on Tuesday night.
